I was a little surprised at how much I enjoyed this book. The premise of the book was so different from anything I usually pick up, but I'm so glad I took a gamble.
Two feuding costars are transported back to the Regency era and have to rely on one another to get by in this strange new world. The romance was a slow burn, but the characters were refreshingly smart and able to communicate with one another. I absolutely loved all the tidbits for Jane Austen fans. That is why I picked up the book in the first place. However, I don't think you have to be an Austen fan to enjoy this rom com.

4 ⭐️
Thank you so much to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and St. Martin’s Griffin for this ARC. Major thanks to Madeline Bell for writing this beautiful book!

When I saw the cover and read the summary on NetGalley, I was instantly drawn in. My mom raised me on Jane Austen, so a modern-day rom-com with a Jane Austen theme? Count me in!

Tess Bright is an actress who starred in an award-winning teen sitcom. But after her mom’s passing, her career takes a nosedive. Then she’s cast in a Regency-era Jane Austen film, Northanger Abbey—her mother’s favorite. This is her last chance to show Hollywood she’s a serious actress and redeem herself.

One person stands in her way: her co-star, Hugh Balfour, the ultra-handsome British actor. He’s a Royal Academy prodigy who takes his craft extremely seriously. He despises Tess, labeling her a walking disaster. Now Tess is worried their non-existent chemistry will ruin the film.

Things take a turn when, after a bizarre electrical mishap, Tess and Hugh find themselves 200 years in the past—Jane Austen’s era, to be exact. They’ll have to put their acting skills to the test, trying to survive the past while figuring out how to get back to the future.

Kudos to Madeline Bell for writing a rom-com with a major Jane Austen theme! The banter between Tess and Hugh was absolutely hilarious and well-written. Bell gave these two beautiful characters so much growth, while also delivering a satisfying slow-burn romance. Truly a classic enemies-to-lovers story.

The Easter eggs of Jane Austen references will delight any Austen fan. Bell managed to pay major homage to Austen while writing a fresh, modern-day romance. I thought this book was both clever and funny—I laughed so much!

I related to Tess deeply, especially in the aspect of losing her mother. I lost mine in 2020, I truly understand why Tess was a mess. My mom was a HUGE Jane Austen fan, just like Tess’s mom. I know her dream dinner guest, dead or alive, would also be Jane Austen. She would’ve loved this book just like I do!

If you’re a fan of rom-coms and Jane Austen, but with a modern twist, this book is for you!

Publication Date: September 16, 2025

The Austen Affair was pure bookish joy—charming, clever, and full of heart. It’s got just the right blend of wit, swoon, and literary magic. If you love Jane Austen, messy feelings, and slow-burn romance with depth, this one’s for you. I ate it up.

I enjoyed this book so much. It was such a fun read. The two main characters had such opposite personalities and I really loved watching them get stuck with each other and slowly learn to understand each other. It was such a sweet story that also covered some heavy topics, like learning to cope with grief. You don't have to be a big Austen fan to enjoy this book, but if you are, I think you will like this one. This has some great side characters and I loved the idea of how certain personality traits can be passed down in a family. This book had me in a happy place for days after reading it.

Listen. I was hooked from the very first line: “It is a truth universally acknowledged that women since time immemorial (or at least since 1995) have been obsessed with Colin Firth.” I felt seen. It’s me. Hi. I’m the problem. It’s me.

I’ve watched the 1995 BBC Pride & Prejudice adaptation more times than I can count—and I absolutely have a yearly, no-holds-barred debate with my best friend about who played the best Darcy. (Spoiler: It’s Firth. Obviously.)

So yes, I am the exact target audience for The Austen Affair, and I devoured it in a day. We’re talking enemies to lovers, forced proximity, time travel (!), millennial snark, literary banter, and—oh yes—a literal Jane Austen cameo. It’s clever, fast-paced, romantic, and delightfully meta. The dialogue sparkles, the heroine is sharp and relatable, and the premise is just the right amount of bonkers in the best possible way.

If you're a romantic comedy fan with a bookshelf full of Austen and a well-worn DVD of Pride & Prejudice (1995, not sorry), you need this book in your life.

More please.

thank you to St. Martin’s Press for this ARC. i enjoyed being in the world of this book. this book is enemies to lovers, but in a Jane Austen way and includes time travel. it felt whimsical and romantic.

Madeline Bell’s The Austen Affair is an extraordinary romance—smart, sexy, and surprisingly profound. As a devoted Jane Austen fan, I loved the clever homages, but what truly blew me away was Bell’s ability to craft such rich, well-rounded characters while balancing humor, heat, and heart-wrenching emotional depth.

The way Bell handles grief is nothing short of masterful—tender yet unsentimental, weaving loss into the story in a way that feels authentic and deeply moving. The romance itself is electric, with crackling chemistry and a slow burn that pays off spectacularly. But beyond the steam and wit, this book is about family, healing, and second chances, all delivered with warmth and sharp insight.

Easily one of my top reads of the year—I laughed, I swooned, and I may have shed a tear or two (in the best way). If you love romances that are as emotionally satisfying as they are steamy, don’t miss this. Pair it with Promise Me Sunshine by Cara Bastone for another beautifully layered love story.

The Austen Affair is an utterly charming romp through time, romance, and the magic of second chances, and that's saying a lot coming from someone who is typically hesitant about time travel books. However, I absolutely loved Tess and Hugh and their adventures through time.

Tess is a lovable whirlwind of energy and heart, and watching her clash—and eventually click—with the brooding, buttoned-up Hugh is pure joy. Their enemies-to-lovers dynamic sizzles with witty banter, hilarious misunderstandings, and unexpected tenderness.

The time-travel twist adds a fun, fresh layer to the story, placing the two in Regency-era England with only their wits (and wildly different acting styles) to survive. It’s laugh-out-loud funny, especially as Tess tries to navigate corsets, chamber pots, and etiquette while Hugh attempts to maintain control of their spiraling situation (honestly this would be me so I can empathize with the poor guy).

But beneath the comedy and chaos lies real emotional depth—Tess’s journey to honor her mother, prove herself, and find love is touching and relatable. A must-read for Austen fans and rom-com lovers alike, The Austen Affair is clever and romantic, and I think Jane Austen lovers like myself will find a spark of joy in this book.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's for this eARC.

What can I say? I'm a simple woman - I like a book where people travel in time and Jane Austen is a minor character. It has been a long time since I entered the extended Jane Austen universe.

This book was absolutely delightful. An epic enemies to lovers tale with time travel and Jane Austen. Who could ask for anything more.

I blew through this book in under twenty four hours. It is engaging and well written. The attraction between the two leads is just the right amount of spicy all the way through. Definitely Jane approved (though she would have been shocked by chapter 27!)!

Thank you so much to St Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the free eARC in exchange for my honest opinions.

4.5 stars!

Oh how lovely this book was!! This first half was absolutely 5 stars for me. I love that we wasted no time falling into the world! I do wish some of the Austen references weren't pointed out, so that us clever readers could spot them. Overall, I'd recommend it.

This is such a fun/ lighthearted read! Jane Austen fans will enjoy the nods to her writing. A wee time travel fun adds such a unique twist to this love story. Thoroughly enjoyed the plot and characters!! Hugh plays such a lovable grump and Tess is a delightful fmc that had me giggling throughout the read!

The Austen Affair is a wonderful read whether you’re a diehard Janeite or have never read any of Austen’s works. I never thought there would be a novel that was a work enemies to lovers set in the regency era but I’m so glad it exists. The time travel aspect wasn’t overdone, which I am grateful for. The characters are very reminiscent of those in Austen’s works, but it was a bit caricature-ish. The quoting of Austen characters was a bit overdone for my taste as well. However, it can all be excused by the impeccable yearning. It was very Darcy. I will definitely be recommending this to my friends and book club when it comes out!

What a charming, delightful read!

This book straddles the contemporary and historical romance in a way other time travel books I've read doesn't. I think that having two people time travel together makes this feel so different, as most of the books I've read that use time travel as a device have a solo person moving back in time.

The premise has co-stars of a Northanger Abbey adaption who don't get a long time traveling to Austen's time. The ancestors of the male main character, Hugh, are in the area and he is mistaken for a distant relation who died at Waterloo. Because they were both in costume when they time traveled, they look the part. Hugh has studied for the film and gets by while the female main character, Tess, is an American whose mother raised her on a steady diet of Austen, so she's familiar with the period as well. They grow closer as they navigate life in the early 1800s and look for a way to get back to their own time.

I loved the moments when Austen's work actually didn't help. For example, Tess points out that there are no scenes without the women in Austen's books, so she's not sure about the post-dinner traditions of men or how men dress at night.

Both Hugh and Tess have subplots dealing with their parents. Tess nursed her mother through cancer and was deeply depressed after her passing. That led to her leaving her long-term TV show. Hugh is worried that his father will died soon and he's eager to return to the present day.

There is one tiny historical inaccuracy during a meal (soup served with the meal), but it's so tiny that it doesn't affect the story in any way. That scene is used to show that Hugh is a vegetarian, which is one of many differences between him and the dead man he's supposed to be.

Hugh and Tess speak and act as modern people when together, but easily slip into their roles when around others. I think that's why this feels more contemporary than historical. It was a fun, fast read!

This was an entertaining and unique story! Tess Bright and Hugh Balfour are our main characters who fit the enemies to lovers trope. They aren’t terrible enemies, more misunderstood by one another. Tess is dealing with grief throughout the story, which could be heavy for some readers. I enjoyed the bantering and bickering. I thought the side characters were well done and loved George! It’s a romance, but not very spicy. The end wraps everything up well!

I would like to thank Net Galley and Jane Austen for the opportunity to read this book as an ARC. This is a book with a very interesting premise. Tess Bright is an actress, who has just been fired from her TV show( she does have 2 teen choice awards though). She is going through grief after the loss of her mother, she is impulsive and unhappy. Hugh Balfour is a British actor who seems to define the phrase"stiff upper lip". He is controlled and totally unhappy that he has to act opposite Tess. They have been cast in an adaptation of Jane Austen's Northanger Abbey on location in England. They do not get along, especially after Tess overhears Hugh complaining over the phone to his sister about her. Worse, they are supposed to be playing romance, and there is not a spark. Until, there is a storm., and a lightning strike sends them 200 years into the past. They are in Regency England, on the grounds of Hugh's family estate. Hugh's great great great uncle died at the battle of Waterloo, and Hugh looks just like him. The family is overjoyed that he is alive, and want him to return to his old life. Of course, they have to explain Tess, and things get tricky. I like Regency Romances. I also like time travel novels. I was leery of the them together. As my daughter has said, "just because you like spaghetti and you like chocolate, doesn't mean you like them both together."There were parts of this that I loved, the characterizations were well written, the side roles well defined and even a cameo appearance from a well known local author. The ending was a bit too tidy, and almost rushed, at least for my taste.Overall I liked it and look forward to more from this author.

I think this technically counts as a bananas pants historical romance and I’m here for it.

Pleasantly surprised me! Leads in a Jane Austen movie accidentally time travel to her time and fall in love? Bond over grief and loss? Quote Jane to each other? Cause a ruckus and a scandal? Yes well done Ms. Bell.

Madeline Bell’s The Austen Affair is an utterly delightful ride that blends time travel, romantic comedy, and Austenian homage into something both witty and warmhearted. The premise alone—a modern-day actress and her brooding co-star flung back into Regency England while filming Northanger Abbey—is catnip for Austen fans, but what makes this novel sing is the emotional undercurrent beneath the hijinks. Tess Bright, a loveably chaotic soap star on the verge of a career reboot, is so easy to root for, even when her impulsiveness leads her into trouble. Her deep connection to her late, Austen-obsessed mom gives the story an unexpected emotional weight. As both a daughter with a close relationship to my own mom and a mom myself, I found those scenes especially poignant—I could so easily imagine feeling Tess’s grief if I lost that bond.

The romance builds through playful, sometimes awkward tension, as Tess—quick to judge and a little immature in true Elizabeth Bennet fashion—clashes with the more reserved, tightly wound Hugh. Their dynamic evolves naturally as they’re forced to rely on one another while navigating the rules and rituals of Regency society. Bell keeps the plot zipping along, and though a few conflicts are resolved a bit too neatly thanks to conveniently placed MacGuffins, it’s easy to forgive—this isn’t a story you read for gritty realism, but for charm and cleverness. The time-travel mechanics are explained just enough to suspend disbelief, and the novel smartly avoids getting bogged down in science fiction logic. Bell balances the whimsy with moments of reflection, exploring grief, legacy, and identity with a light but steady hand.

In short, The Austen Affair is a super cute, wildly fun read tailor-made for Janeites, romantics, and anyone who’s ever wished for one more conversation with someone they’ve loved and lost. It’s the perfect blend of heart, humor, and historical fantasy. Highly recommended

This was kind of a ridiculous but fun read. The time travel stuff makes no sense, but if you just go with it, it’s pretty entertaining. The main couple had a cute grumpy/sunshine vibe, and even when things got a little over-the-top, the energy stayed fun. It doesn’t take itself too seriously, and neither should you.

That said, there were a lot of Austen references that felt a little too forced, like the author didn’t trust readers to already know the material. Some of the dialogue didn’t fit the time period at all, and the romance tried to do too many tropes at once without really digging into any of them. Still, if you’re in the mood for something light and chaotic, this’ll do the trick.

The Austen Affair merges a celebrity romance with a regency romance and ties it up with a time traveling bow.

What starts out with a wild premise, is grounded in real reflections of living with the grief of what you’ve lost and knowing what you’re going to lose. Our two main characters have different but complimentary personalities and I couldn’t help but root for them. This book was genuinely funny and heartfelt.

One of my favorite reads of the summer!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the arc in exchange for an honest review.